Tokyo , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The detained captain of a Chinese trawler was released by Japan and returned to his home country , the state-run Xinhua news agency reported , citing the Chinese Foreign Ministry .

Zhan Qixiong , who had been held by Japanese authorities since September 8 , arrived safely early Saturday morning in Fuzhou , the capital of southeast China 's Fujian Province , according to Xinhua .

The captain left Japan with officials from China 's Foreign and Agriculture ministries .

`` We decided to suspend the charges in consideration of the Japan-China relationship , '' said the Japanese prosecutor in the case .

In China , the captain 's wife , Chen Tingting , said she was thrilled .

`` We are so happy , we are just really very happy to hear the news , '' she said . His home is Jinjiang city , in Fujian .

The captain was arrested off the disputed Diaoyu Islands , in the East China Sea , after his vessel crashed into two Japanese patrol boats . He was accused of obstructing Japanese public officers while they performed their duties .

`` The Japanese side bears full responsibility for the current situation , and it shall bear all the consequences that arise , '' Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday in New York , as China escalated demands for the captain 's release . Wen was in New York for the U.N. General Assembly .

Word of his release quickly followed the arrest of four Japanese nationals in China . The four are being investigated for entering a military zone without authorization and videotaping military targets , Chinese state media said .

Neither country linked the captain 's case with the arrest of the four Japanese nationals , however .

The four Japanese nationals were sent to China for a Japanese government project to reclaim World War II chemical weapons left by Japan 's Imperial Army , their company said Friday . A Chinese national also is missing and presumed arrested with his Japanese co-workers on Wednesday in northern Hebei Province .

They work for Fujita Corp. , a mid-size Japanese construction company that Goldman Sachs Group acquired in April 2009 .

Japan 's foreign ministry officials said Friday that China had informed them of the arrests , but they had no information about any charges or why the Japanese nationals had been detained .

`` Currently , the case is being investigated , '' is all that Chinese security authorities in Shijiazhuang said in a statement , the state-run China Daily reported .

But Beijing had plenty to say about Japan detaining the Chinese fishing captain . Japan `` illegally arrested '' him and his crew of 14 , China said .

Beijing says the Diaoyu Islands and most of the South China Sea belong to China , disputing neighboring countries ' claims . In Japan , the islands are known as the Senkaku . The clash over territorial waters and islands -- and the natural resources that go with them -- is a flash point in the Asia-Pacific region .

Japan earlier this month freed the fishing captain 's crew .

China 's Foreign Ministry said that Japan had `` seriously damaged Sino-Japan bilateral relations '' with the arrest of the captain and his crew .

In response , China halted talks with Japan about increasing civil flights and expanding aviation rights between the two countries . Officials and nationals on both sides also canceled trips to each other 's nations .

CNN 's Jo Kent contributed to this report .

@highlight

NEW : The captain has arrived in China

@highlight

China had warned of `` consequences '' if he was not freed

@highlight

Four Japanese nationals were arrested in China on Friday